You thought you proudly got yourself registered in the Prime Minister’s “बेटी बचाओ अभियान (Save the girl child campaign)” when the Obstetrics-Gynaecology doctor came up to you and said “Congratulation! It’s a baby girl”, and you were still happy. You didn’t think of snatching away her breath and depriving her of the right to live.
Indeed you contributed to the Nation’s Sex-Ratio.
But, What’s Next?
After “बेटी बचाओ “, it was “बेटी पढ़ाओ (Educate the girl child)” for you. You wanted to give her the best education in this world. Irrespective of her gender, you worked extra hours and saved money, not just for her school but also for her extra-curricular interests such as drawing, singing and dancing classes. She also made you proud every year on the annual result day. Years passed by. She was growing into the daughter you always wanted her to be. She cleared the medical entrance examination and without spending a single minute upon thinking about the expenditure, you got her admitted into the medical college. You wanted her to be independent in her life and you thought that higher education could make that happen.
Yes, once again you did a commendable job.
You then contributed to the improvement in the female literacy rate of the country.
What’s Next?
She is 21 now. One day she calls you up saying “We friends are planning to go for a trip”, and you get shriveled up. You are scared now; you tell her that this world isn’t safe for girls and you cannot imagine any unfortunate incident happening to your princess.
Perhaps, as a Guardian, you are right.
So, will you never let her travel the world on her own? Will you always accompany her during her night shifts? Will you always make her feel that she isn’t capable of taking care of herself?
Of course, this world isn’t safe. There are kidnappers, murderers, rapists hidden in every nook and corner of the city, waiting for an EASY PREY.
And, do you know who is that EASY PREY?
That EASY PREY is none other than the daughter of a guardian like you, who thought that education was all that your girl needed to be independent; to be the wife of a husband, who would always be there as her bodyguard; to be sister of a brother, who never allowed her to go even to the nearest shop after 7 in the evening.
You spent enormous money on her education and other extracurricular activities but forgot to train her in SELF-DEFENCE.
Yes, education is a must. Education enables her to dial 100 or call women’s help line when she is in trouble; but it’s self defence that will help her to fight till help reaches her.
You cannot stop crimes, nor can you spot criminals hidden behind innocent faces. But, you can definitely train your girl in self-defence and render her the strength to fight against all odds and make her believe that “being strong is the only option she has“
And one day when she calls you up at 12, midnight asking if anyone is coming to pick her up at the railway station, you can frankly say to her that she can come home, all alone. And I bet, the moment she disconnects the phone, she will be connected with her inner strength, developing an altogether different kind of self-confidence.
And that’s when you actually contribute to WOMEN EMPOWERMENT!
